Мхи старої садиби
The Artist of the Beautiful
"Oh,butitmustbeso,"quothPeterHovenden,"forthesakeofthedayswhenyouwereoneofthehousehold.What,myboy!don’tyouknowthatmydaughterAnnieisengagedtoRobertDanforth?Wearemakinganentertainment,inourhumbleway,tocelebratetheevent."
Thatlittlemonosyllablewasallheuttered;itstoneseemedcoldandunconcernedtoanearlikePeterHovenden’s;andyettherewasinitthestifledoutcryofthepoorartist’sheart,whichhecompressedwithinhimlikeamanholdingdownanevilspirit.Oneslightoutbreak,however,imperceptibletotheoldwatchmaker,heallowedhimself.Raisingtheinstrumentwithwhichhewasabouttobeginhiswork,heletitfalluponthelittlesystemofmachinerythathad,anew,costhimmonthsofthoughtandtoil.Itwasshatteredbythestroke!
OwenWarland’sstorywouldhavebeennotolerablerepresentationofthetroubledlifeofthosewhostrivetocreatethebeautiful,if,amidallotherthwartinginfluences,lovehadnotinterposedtostealthecunningfromhishand.Outwardlyhehadbeennoardentorenterprisinglover;thecareerofhispassionhadconfineditstumultsandvicissitudessoentirelywithintheartist’simaginationthatAnnieherselfhadscarcelymorethanawoman’sintuitiveperceptionofit;but,inOwen’sview,itcoveredthewholefieldofhislife.
